Textile machinery, and more particularly to top rolls for textile spinning or rovingframes, and the like



Sept. 17, 1957 J WASLEY 2,806,258

-A. TEXTILE MACHINERY, AND MORE PARTICULARLY TO TOP ROLLS FOR TEXTILE SPINNING OR ROVING FRAMES. AND THE LIKE Filed June 9, 1954 h n 5. eh H INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent TEXTILE MACHINERY, AND MORE PARTICU- LARLY TO TOP ROLLS FOR TEXTILE SPINNING OR ROVING FRAMES, AND THE LIKE Arthur J. Waslcy, Bristol, Conn., assignor to The Farm ington Company, Inc., Farmington, Conn., n corporation of Connecticut Application June 9, 1954, Serial No. 435,484

9 Claims. (Cl. 19-142) This invention relates to textile machinery, and more particularly to top rolls for textile spinning or roving frames, and the like.

Numerous prior workers in the art have attempted to devise top rolls and the like which meet all of the rigid requirements for such equipment. While the prior art equipment provided one or more of the required features, no one, prior to the present invention, has succeeded in combining into one construction all of the essential features. These features are:

1. Controllable axial and radial rigidity;

2. Provision for grinding and regrinding cot outer diameter while the roll is supported by the roll end caps;

3. Quick and easy disassembly of the unit for cleaning or repair, with accompanying ease of reassembly without special or complicated tools;

'4. Adequate scaling to prevent lint entry into the bearing.

The first feature requires end caps to be slidable onto the shaft at assembly and their axial location must be adjustable so as to provide for removal of axial play in the outer shell.

The second feature requires that the end caps be rigidly fixed to the shaft and that there must be a minimum of radial play between the shaft and the outer shell of the roll. The roll shell must be round in order to prevent yarn breakage. In grinding the roll covering preparatory to use, it is usual practice to hold the end cap in collets in the grinding apparatus. If the cap outer diameters are not round and true, it is impossible to grind the shell covering round and true, yet in the prior art, the caps have been held in place with set screws, expanding shafts provided with tapers, screws, and the like, and other devices, most of which tended to distort the shafts and create cap distortion and out of roundness, which was in turn transferred to the shell covering during the grinding operation.

As indicated above, the third feature requires that the .various assembly and disassembly operations be accomplished without special tools which increase cost, are liable to become lost, and often require highly trained yersonnel.

- by virtueof an adequate and readily replenished lubrication arrangement.

An important feature of the invention is a novel construction providing a non-distorting arrangement for maintaining a desired relation between the shaft and the end cap, and including an annular, radially expandible element of resilient material, such as a rubber-like or springy metal material. Another novel feature resides 2,806,258 Patented Sept. 17, 1957 in the use of a threaded element cooperating with the annular element just mentioned, and at the same time, closing the bore of the shaft (which may be hollow), and providing a readily removable closure to permit introduction of lubricant into the bore. The radially expandable element may serve in a novel manner an additional function, acting as a sealing gasket between the head of the threaded element and the end of the shaft. The provision of these features also comprise objects of the invention, as does the novel sealing arrangement.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a roll incorporating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view in longitudinal section, showing the threaded element partly withdrawn from its position in the end of the shaft;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the end portion of the roll, showing a rubber-like radially expandable element in use;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but with only the shell, bearing and cap shown;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Turning now to Fig. l in greater detail, there is shown a shaft 10 having a hollow interior 11 which may contain a fibrous lubrication carrying material 12. Radial openings 13 (Fig. 3) in the shaft provide communication between the bore 11 and the outer periphery of the shaft for passage of lubricant to a bearing 14 which surrounds the shaft and which is press fitted into the interior of shell or sleeve 15. Thus, the shell and bearing 14 may rotate on shaft 10, aided by lubricant from the bore, of the shaft. It will be noted that the shell extends be yond the bearing at each end of the roll. The bearing and shell assembly is duplicated at each end of the shaft, a center spacer 16 of tubular construction being slid onto the shaft to space these assemblies, as shown in Fig. 1.

At each end of the shaft is a cap construction which may be duplicated at each end, hence only one end will be described. This comprises a cap 17 which is slid onto the end of the shaft, a threaded element or bolt 18 having an enlarged head 19, a threaded end portion of the shaft bore for receiving element 18, and a radially expandable element 20 (Fig. 2) or 20:: (Fig. 3).

Element 20 of Fig. 2 comprises an annular dished spring of resilient metal which may be split radially (not shown) to permit more easily the outer periphery of the element 20 to expand radially to engage the inner periphery of cap 17 as bolt 18 is tightened in the end of the shaft. An annular groove 21 may be provided in the interior of the cap 17 to receive the outer periphery of element 20.

In Figs. 3 and 5, the resilient element is a washer 20a of rubber-like material, preferably of the synthetic variety so as to be resistant to attack by lubricating oils. The end surface of shaft 10 may be provided with serrations as shown at 22. Similarly, the inner surface of cap 17 may be serrated at 23, at least in the area engaged by element 20.

Fig. 4 shows a further detail which may be incorporated, if desired, in the construction, namely, the radial slots 24. Use of these slots is optional.

In assembling the roll, one end cap 17 and its resilient element 20 or 20a are mounted on one end of the shaft by a bolt 18. Next follow a shell 15 and bearing 14, the center spacer 16, and another shell and hearing, all slid on from the other end of the shaft. This other end is then fitted with a cap 17, element 20 or 3 20a, and bolt 18, which is tightened by a screw driver inserted through the outer end of cap 17.

It will be apparent from the above description that the tightening .of bolt .18 against its associated element 20 or 3.0a .causes the expandable .element .to engage both the end .of shaft .10 .and-tbe interior of cap 17 tightly so as to hold themsinathe desired relation, as .shown, until the .bolt is loosened. Use of :the rubber like element 201: is particularly desirable, as the endof shaft '10 .may be serrated .as-at-22, asmay the interior of cap 17, as shown .at 23. This assures an extremely .positive holding -.of the element 2011 with relation to the shaft end against whichv .it is tightly pressed upon tightening of bolt 18, .whichat the same time causes radial .expansion ofthe elementloa'against the inner surface of cap 17, thusemaintaining thecap and .element 20a fixed with regard to each other. This fixation is even more positive if the serrations 23 are used,-although they are not absolutely necessary. Thepressure against cap 17 by element2'0a (and by element 20, when-used) is extremely even all around its periphery, rendering cap out of roundness created by lockingimpossible. By loosening bolt 18, the cap 17, when .using material 20a, may be positionc'd axially as desired, and again fixed in .the desired position by tightening bolt 18. By shifting the two end caps, the position of the bearings and sleeves may be adjusted, and-axialgplay may be removed.

Element 20a also serves the dual function of sealing gasket to prevent seepage of lubricant out of bore '11 past bolt 18. At'the same time, .bolt 18 may be readily removed for addition of lubricationinto the bore.

Another feature of the construction is the highly successful :sealiug construction .of utmost simplicity which keeps fly from entering the bearing and, at the same time, .gathers this .fly for=ready and easy removal in an untwisted state. This seal merely comprises two spaced flanges 30 .extending radially at right angles to the cap axis and located on the cap outer periphery near its inner end. The ,peripheryof the .cap and the faces of the flanges are blended with a minimum radii. Also, the flanges :are located under the overhanging end of shell 15 as far as possible.

As the fly attempts to enter the bearing chamber, its direction of travel .is re-oriented by seal design from axial .to circumferential direction of travel, and it is wound on the cap with fibers parallel and untwisted with regard to adjacent fibers. This is easily removed. This overcomesthe defects of previous seals of causing fiber .intertwisting, resulting in building up of an accumulation of twisted material of sufiicient hardness, size, and strength to bind the roll and stop or slow its rotation. Such accumulations were quite tight and difficult'to remove, and create sufi'icient torque generation to cause roll skid on'bott0m roll with resultant scufiing or tearing of-shell covering to make roll unusable.

While there has been described above what is deemed to be the most practical and efiicient embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is only limited withinthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

-1. Ina toproll and the like for textile machinery,

the combination of a shaft, a tubular bearing mounted thereon, a tubular roll sleeve mounted on said bearing, and, at at least one end of the shaft, an adjustable end cap arrangement comprising an end portion of the shaft having a threaded axial opening therein, a tubular cap fitting closely over the end of said shaft, a threaded element'having an enlarged head and threadedly engaging the axialopening in said shaft, and a radially expandable element .of resilient material positioned between said enlarged head and the end of said shaft and adapted to engage tightly the shaft end, the enlarged head, and the interior of said cap as the threaded element is screwed into the shaft end.

2. A construction according to claim 1, wherein the radially expandible element is of non-compressible but deformable material.

3. A construction according to claim 2, in which said element-is of rubber-like material.

4. A construction according to claim 1, wherein the inner periphery of the tubular cap is serrated, the radially expandable element being of rubber-like material.

5. A construction according to claim 1, wherein the radially expandable-element is a dished annular spring.

6. A=.construction according to claim 5, wherein said tubular cap has a groovein its inner surface for receiving the outer periphery of said annular spring.

7. A construction according to claim 1, wherein said shaft is hollow and filled with a fibrous wick material for receiving lubricant through the threaded axial opening in the-endzof the shaft,.and radial'lubricating openings permitting ,passage .of lubricant from the hollow interior of the shaft to the outer periphery thereof, whereby said threaded element serves the dual function of causing radial expansion of said expandable element and also closing the lubricant containing hollow interior of the shaft,.said radially expandable element also serving as a sealing gasket.

8. A construction according to claim 1, wherein the tubular cap has two spaced annular flanges on its outer periphery positioned within the end portion of the roll sleeve and serving to divert yarn fly attempting to enter the bearing and cause such fly'to form a readily removable ring of untwisted fibers.

9..A construction according to claim 1, wherein said end arrangement is duplicated at each end of the shaft, there being two sleeve and bearing units separated by an axial spacing element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

